Dark Sermon is one of those newer metal bands that have already been attracting a growing following as time passed. This potential legacy began in 2009, when the band took form in Tampa, Florida. They released their debut EP in 2012 called âAimless,â which, while it sounded like nothing totally groundbreaking or phenomenal, it nonetheless had some potential hidden under its wing. In fact, it seemed to have caught the attention of record label giants eOne and Good Fight Entertainment, which have been known for signing famed acts such as The Contortionist, Straight Line Stitch, and Within The Ruins. Since then, a new full-length release would be in the works, and would then see the light of day in early 2013, known as âIn Tongues.â As the bandâs first full-length record, this eleven-track beast will truly determine whether Dark Sermon is taking a strong second foot forward into the scene, or if it is instead a step backwards from their preceding release.

Starting off, the musicianship showcased in âIn Tonguesâ is quite solid. The vocals consist mostly of brutal roars and screams, and they are very aggressively performed. The drums are also very solidly played out, and are more focused on the fast-paces than anything else throughout the release. The guitars, however, are the highlight of the musicianship overall, possessing some energetic and rather potent riffs and melodies in certain parts peppered across the album. All in all, the elements of the musicianship are performed generally well, although they donât necessarily stand out. On top of that, the sound production also serves as one of the albumâs stronger points. Executed by Jason Suecof, who has also done the same work for bands such as August Burns Red, The Contortionist, and Job For A Cowboy, did a stellar job of letting each instrument shine on its own while still sounding natural and crisp, thus boosting the already solid musicianship to some further heights. Overall, what âIn Tonguesâ truly succeeds in is the musicianship showcased and the sound production that supports it.

Unfortunately, what âIn Tonguesâ does not entirely succeed in is generating very memorable or interesting death metal tunes. The majority of this release is composed of a crushing blend of melodic death metal and metalcore, with some hints of thrash in between. As a whole, the music here has no actual, scathing flaws, but the heart of why this release is woefully caught on the fence is because there is almost nothing in it that could possibly make it thoroughly enjoyable and invigorating. The mix described earlier has been done by a number of bands in the past, meaning that if a group intends to make a release of the same caliber, they should try to either add something intriguing or inventive to the blend, or they should simply make it a wondrous representation of its own genre. Sadly, âIn Tonguesâ doesnât seem to accomplish either distinction for the most part, since itâs fundamentally a generic melodic deathcore release with no real quirks to keep listeners engaged. Thankfully, a few positive points that can be identified with the record is that the tracks sound distinct from one another, there is a slight supply of gripping moments, although they are sadly miles far in between, and the songs overall are structured decently. Sadly, even these are not necessarily enough to make the release completely salvageable or enjoyable. Overall, in terms of the melodic deathcore music that this release has to offer, the problem does not necessarily lie within the structure, musicianship, or track distinction, but rather in its lack of memorability and intrigue.

Overall, âIn Tonguesâ is not necessarily bad, but there is nothing spectacular or very noteworthy to make of it either. In other words, itâs in the middle of the scale. On the bright side of things, the musicianship is great, along with the crystal-clear sound production, and the songs are fairly identifiable from each other. Sadly, on the other side of the spectrum, the deathcore is overall very pedestrian and generic, and it has a sore lack of memorable or gripping moments or any innovation. With all things considered, the scale weighs out to have both sides balanced out rather evenly, and the end result is an average modern melodic death metal release that may appeal strongly to fans of the said subgenre, but not to anyone else outside of that realm. This is a shame, because âAimless,â while not earth-shakingly remarkable, it was a very enjoyable little release nonetheless, and had a good amount of potential in its wake. Sadly, when Dark Sermon releases an album that truly unveils that potential and ultimately generates a highly enjoyable listen is sadly yet to come. But for now, although âIn Tonguesâ proved to not be such a decent step forward into the bandâs career, there is still room for change in the future that will lead them to making something truly special.